Brandon Woodruff, Ji-Man Choi optioned back to Class AAA Colorado Springs
Already clicking on all cylinders, the Milwaukee Brewers will be even closer to full strength when they open a four-game series against the New York Mets on Thursday night at Miller Park.
In addition to the return of right-hander Zach Davies, who will start the opener, outfielder Ryan Braun also will be reinstated from the 10-day disabled list. Right-hander Brandon Woodruff and first baseman-outfielder Ji-Man Choi were optioned back to Class AAA Colorado Springs to make room on the 25-man roster.
Davies has been on the DL since May 3 with right rotator cuff tendinitis. He made one minor-league rehab start, on Saturday at Class A Wisconsin, and threw 4 2/3 shutout innings with nine strikeouts.
Through six starts with the Brewers, Davies is 2-3 with a 4.24 earned run average.
Braun, meanwhile, has been out since May 17 with tightness in his mid-back. The move to put him on the DL was made retroactive to May 14, meaning Thursday was the earliest he could have returned.
THE GAME:5 Takeaways | Box score
ANALYSIS:Since big freeze-out in Chicago, Brewers have come closer to hitting on all cylinders
MLB:Live scoreboard, box scores, standings, statistics
"He’s been trending like he’s been ready to go since Monday, really," manager Craig Counsell said.
Braun has had several big hits for the Brewers but otherwise has struggled this season, hitting .222 with a .268 on-base percentage and OPS of .681. His 20 runs batted in rank third on the team, and he also has hit five home runs.
With Jesús Aguilar continuing to rake at the plate — he drove in three more runs Wednesday and has nine over his last five games to rank him second on the club with 23 — Counsell was asked if he might supplant Braun as the No. 3 hitter in the lineup.
"He’s earned playing time, yeah. He’s going to be in there," Counsell said of Aguilar. "Where the guys hit, you guys know I don’t think that’s the most vital thing. But he’s certainly going to be in the middle of the lineup."
It's the third time Woodruff has been optioned out and the second time for Choi.
Woodruff finished out Wednesday's game with two scoreless innings and three strikeouts. He made a pair of starts after being recalled May 11 and is 2-0 with a 6.05 earned run average in eight appearances for the Brewers (three starts).
Choi homered in his first at-bat after being recalled Friday in Minnesota, and he doubled and scored the lone run in Milwaukee's 1-0 victory over Arizona on Tuesday. He's hit .267 in two stints with Milwaukee.
Stretch of excellence: Right-hander Jhoulys Chacín did not figure in the decision Tuesday night but did his part with five scoreless innings. And he did it without his best stuff, working around two hits and four walks before departing with 86 pitches.
“His command wasn’t great but he made pitches when he had to,” Counsell said. “It was a night where he had to battle. And he battles and puts up five zeroes. That’s the sign of a good pitcher, when you can do that.
“You’d love to have your ‘A’ stuff every night. If you don’t have it and still put up zeroes, it’s a job well done.”
Chacín, who signed a two-year, $15.5 million deal as a free agent over the winter, scuffled in his first three outings, posting a 6.59 ERA. He started to command his pitches better after that and has posted a 2.28 ERA in eight starts overall.
The only starter not to miss a turn in the rotation, Chacín is 3-1 with a 3.32 ERA. In four starts this month, he is 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA.
“I really battled from the first inning,” Chacín said of his outing against Arizona. “My fastball command wasn’t that good; my slider was not really that good. I was just trying to make a pitch to get the next guy out.
“I could have gone one more inning if my at-bat didn’t come up. But, with the bullpen we have, I know if we score one run we have a good chance to win the ballgame.”